The Kern County Planning and Natural Resources Department (PLNR) invites all residents, non-profit agencies, and special districts of unincorporated Kern County and the cities of California City, Ridgecrest, Shafter and Tehachapi to participate in one or more community meetings to be held the fourth week of November 2025. Meeting schedules are listed below.
Meeting participants will have the opportunity to discuss housing and community development needs that may affect their communities. In preparation for the County’s upcoming FY 2026-2027 Annual Action Plan, information concerning the following U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development programs which principally benefit low and moderate-income persons, will also be provided.
The Community Development Block Grant Program provides grant and loan funds to improve living environments and expand economic opportunities (estimated at slightly more than $4.02 million for FY 2026-27).
The HOME Investment Partnerships Program – provides loan and grant funds to improve the availability, accessibility, and affordability of decent housing (estimated at slightly more than $1.55 million for FY 2026-27).
The Emergency Solutions Grant Program provides grants for services and emergency shelters for the homeless, including homelessness prevention and rapid re-housing. Matching funds are required (estimated at approximately $358,808 for FY 2026-27). Eligible Projects: examples of projects which may be eligible for these federal funds include handicap accessibility improvements, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation, affordable rental housing construction rehabilitation, parks and recreation facilities, drainage improvements, curbs and gutters, water and sewer improvements, streets; emergency shelters and business development and job creation activities.
Application and eligibility information is available at https:// kernplanning.com/community development and will be available at the community meetings.
The meeting schedules are (all meetings to begin at 6:00 p.m.) Bakersfield Monday November 24, 2025, Public Services Building 2700 “M” Street Bakersfield, CA 93301 Mojave Tuesday November 25, 2025, Mojave Veterans Building 15580 O Street Mojave, CA 93501